May 21, 2020 2nd CWSS narrows Air Force Weather’s first-in communications gap Members from Air Force Weather and Special Operations communities gathered at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, Feb. 20, to test a first-in communications capability with potential for the global Air Force mission. Joint Special Operations Command, 2nd Combat Weather Systems Squadron, 18th Weather Squadron
May 15, 2020 15th OWS creating margin with Ready Month The 15th Operational Weather Squadron has introduced a new scheduling model this year to improve readiness, morale and the ability to train. Dubbed “Ready Month,” the plan provides the opportunity for one of the squadron’s four operational flights to come off 24/7 operations for a month to focus on
April 29, 2020 Cyber Evolution: 16th WS The 16th Weather Squadron is leading the way, reorganizing to become the 557th Weather Wing’s dedicated software and innovation squadron, a move that will generate new insights on environmental intelligence for combatant commanders around the globe. When complete, the reorganization will reinforce
April 8, 2020 Made with love in Australia by a 2nd WS Airman A 2nd Weather Squadron Airman stationed in Australia is crafting hope in her local community in the midst of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Staff Sgt. Kalynn Mitchell, a 2nd WS solar analyst at Learmonth Solar Observatory in Exmouth, Western Australia, is using her sewing machine and fabric from a
Feb. 7, 2020 557th WW integrating with 16th AF missions The 557th Weather Wing is working to integrate its strengths into the recently formed 16th Air Force, which brought intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber, electronic warfare, information operations and weather all under one roof. Integration is a key theme for the Air Force’s first
Jan. 15, 2020 Weather Airmen share mission at Rose Bowl event As people prepared to celebrate the New Year’s holiday, five Airmen from units across the 557th Weather Wing journeyed to Pasadena, California. Their mission was to tell the Air Force Weather story at Live on Green!, a free entertainment and education event that precedes the annual Rose Parade and
Nov. 4, 2019 557th WW realigns under new information warfare NAF The 557th Weather Wing has been reassigned to the Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber).The reassignment ceremony, held at the 557th WW’s headquarters here Oct. 29, was attended by commanders from Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) and Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern), its former
Oct. 11, 2019 Air Force integrates missions, strengthens information warfare capabilities Sixteenth Air Force activated at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Oct. 11, integrating Twenty-Fourth Air Force, to include Air Forces Cyber, and Twenty-Fifth Air Force into a single headquarters that will provide global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber, electronic warfare and
Oct. 9, 2019 Minnesota visitors receive surprise visit to Offutt In what was an absolute surprise to all of them, 82 people from Southeastern Minnesota toured Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, Sept. 19, 2019. The visit was part of three-day mystery tour to Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska offered by Home Federal Savings Bank, a local bank. “When they left
Sept. 12, 2019 557th WW trains its own to deploy anytime, everywhere Instructors from the 2nd Combat Weather Systems Squadron took on an unusual set of students, a class composed entirely of Airmen from a single unit. Airmen from the 25th Operational Weather Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, attended the Deployed Weather Systems Training class at
Sept. 6, 2019 557th WW holds first wing operational readiness exercise The 557th Weather Wing completed its first operational readiness exercise since standing up as an Air Combat Command wing.Held Aug. 19-23, Operational Readiness Exercise - Steel Colander tested the wing’s ability to deliver weather intelligence in a contested, degraded and operationally-limited
Aug. 8, 2019 ACC defines HUR-RY, TOR-RY framework While specific start dates of tornado seasons vary based on region, they can happen at any time, day or night. On the other hand, Hurricane Season recently began on June 1 and will extend to Nov. 30. Due to catastrophic weather events that took place throughout the past 12 year, including Hurricane
July 3, 2019 ROKAF Weather Wing commander visits 557th WW The commander of the Republic of Korea Air Force Weather Wing visited 557th Weather Wing headquarters June 20, 2019. The ROK-US weather collaboration meeting, held between Col. Gyun Do Ki, ROKAF WW commander, and Col. Brian Pukall, 557th WW commander, is traditionally held every two years after the
June 19, 2019 Midshipmen visit 15th OWS to learn Midwest weather Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy visited the 15th Operational Weather Squadron May 11, 2019, to learn about severe weather and its effects on aviation. An example of cross service partnership, the annual visit allows future naval officers the opportunity to learn about weather phenomena from
June 6, 2019 Most important weather forecast ever made Seventy-five years ago, Allied forces began the task of opening the second front in Europe when they landed on the beaches of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.Weather was a key factor in deciding when and where the invasion would take place. There were competing priorities when selecting the desired
May 10, 2019 ACC Airmen performing space mission in Australia celebrate 40 years The Learmonth Solar Observatory celebrated its 40th anniversary April 27, 2019, at Learmonth, Western Australia, giving solar immersion briefings at the facility and holding a partnership barbecue.The observatory is operated jointly by 2nd Weather Squadron’s Detachment 1 and the Australian Bureau of
April 2, 2019 26th OWS Airmen experience the pilot’s perspective Two Airmen from the 26th Operational Weather Squadron got to experience the weather they normally only forecast when they donned flight suits and took to the skies at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, Feb. 21, 2019.Tech. Sgt. Chris Bieber, 26th OWS shift supervisor, and Senior Airman
March 28, 2019 2nd WXG innovations: Task Force Bat Phone delivers data Airmen need This is the second part of a series highlighting innovations by the 557th Weather Wing’s 2nd Weather Group.Using off-the-shelf components, new processes and a little inspiration from Batman, a group of innovative Airmen from the 557th Weather Wing’s 2nd Weather Group are changing how information is
Feb. 22, 2019 2nd WXG Innovations: 14th WS releases new climate go kit This is the first of a series highlighting innovations by the 557th Weather Wing’s 2nd Weather Group.After only six months of in-house development, the 2nd WXG’s 14th Weather Squadron in Asheville, North Carolina, introduced their Climate Go-Kit, a new tool for weather forecasters to prepare for
Feb. 8, 2019 557th WW joins 55th WG for Winter Havoc The 557th Weather Wing joined the 55th Wing, Offutt Air Force Base’s host wing, for the Operational Readiness Exercise Winter Havoc.Twenty-one Airmen from the 2nd Systems Operations Squadron, 2nd Weather Squadron and 16th Weather Squadron joined approximately 600 other Offutt AFB Airmen for the late